Every good ćevapi cook has a slightly different recipe — a closely guarded combination of the exact mix of meats, the spices (usually including black pepper, salt, and a little garlic), and the kneading technique. Sarajevo-style ćevapi are thinner and usually served ten at a time; Banja Luka-style are thicker. Locals debate endlessly about which city makes them better.
Ćevapi are grilled on a special flat iron grill called a roštilj. The cook shapes the meat into small cylinders by hand and lays them on the hot grill. The sizzling sound and the charcoal smoke drifting through Baščaršija bazaar is one of the most instantly recognisable smells in Sarajevo.
Somun — the flatbread served with ćevapi — is baked fresh every day in special bakeries. It is round, pillowy, and slightly springy. Traditionally you split it open, stuff in the ćevapi and onions, add a dollop of kajmak, and eat it as a sort of open sandwich. Most Bosnians will tell you the bread is just as important as the sausages.
Ćevapi are eaten at any time of day — as a quick lunch, a late-night snack, or a celebratory meal after a football match. Family gatherings in Bosnia often involve grilling ćevapi in the garden on a summer evening, with everyone helping to knead the meat and fan the coals.